Targeted enforcement

Enforcement resources are now targeted at the most “hazardous” workplaces. However, unions and safety campaigners say sectors have been identified as “low risk” — and so in no need of proactive inspection — without any obvious reason.

The DWP reported in 2014 that “major hazard” industries would continue to be regulated at a high level and will continue to be subject to unannounced inspection, although there would be a “light-touch” approach for “responsible businesses” that “do the right thing”. Examples given of “major hazard” industries are construction, waste recycling and certain areas of high-risk manufacturing, for example, molten and base metal manufacture.